They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west. Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.
Isaiah 24:14-16a (ESV)
Lord Jesus, these three and a half verses are amazing to me. All around them You are declaring the judgement that You are enacting against those who do not worship You. Yet, there is a break in the divine action, a pause for “station identification”, where You give us a glimpse of individuals praising You! Immediately my soul went there, embracing that in the midst of things being upside down all around me, where everyone is crying out how bad things are, whether it is because of government do’s and don’ts, weather disasters, crime in the streets, wars and rumors of wars – the list goes on – my soul still finds and sees Your glorious hand at work, You showing me the proverbial silver lining, and that in the midst of it all I can see Your sovereign rule over everything! No matter how bad things may appear to be in the world that I am living in, in the midst of it I can see Your handiwork. What a blessing! What a joy!
As I live out this day, I pray for eyes that continue to see and ears that continue hear. As I continue to stoke this joy song in my heart grant me glimpses of Your majesty. As I take in the beauty of Your creation, whether coastlines, mountains, foliage or peoples, continue to remind me that they are Your handiwork created to silently sing Your praises no matter how bad things are around me. From the rising of the sun until its going down my soul shall seek and find all of the reasons to give You the praise You are worthy of! Thank You for Your immeasurable, unmerited, and unimaginable love! I praise and magnify You this day and everyday! Amen!